I've noticed that, too, t_i_n.  I've sometimes found myself allocated 'Quiet Coach' seat(s) which I couldn't have requested because no such option existed and put myself in the position of someone who might have been relying on the ability to receive calls.  It makes me very reluctant to complain (not that complaining does much good anyway) as I realise the 'offender' might have found her/himself in the QC through no choice of their own.  My train company has now started letting you choose Quiet Zone in online bookings so I presume if you don't check that box you don't get a QC seat.  Agents like thetrainline.com still don't offer such a choice and have now started charging card fees and collection fees so I'm trying to avoid them on principle.  I often use saver returns anyway; they're a bit dearer but they don't restrict you to a specific seat - or even a specific train.



Quite.  I can't help thinking it was introduced in the hope of placating people like me (there are lots of us) but without any intention of implementing it in any realistic way.

I deeply sympathise John.  Kids eh?  Who'd have 'em!    Mine has only just this minute gone to bed after all the excitement.  I'm absolutely worn out today.

You might be wondering why we didn't contact parents/police/etc.  No point. The fact is he probably didn't give his own name and address anyway.  There are loads of holidaymakers around at the moment and he wasn't recognisable as one of the locals. There was a group of about 5 kids altogether.   We're just glad to have the thing back.  In 19 years of living in this house that's the only thing that has been taken; except for some underwear off the line once, many years ago.

A secret admirer?

I'm impressed your grandson was brave/socially-adapted enough to go up to the kid on the beach and ask for his Nintendo back. I think a lot of problems could be solved that way without involving the police etc.

No not my grandson!  He's only 7!  My strapping 6'1" athletic grown-up son.  He shot round here in the car from his house to help because my CCTV screen is in the loft and I can never get the damn ladder down without injuring myself.  

My sons are excellent for rushing to my aid.  My other son was at my own house one evening a few years ago when dear Alfie was alive and before I had this child full-time.  I was on the sand dunes about 10 p.m., giving Alfie the last walk of the day, when I saw this guy staring at me.  There was nowhere for me to go and he looked really scary.  I rang my son for help on my mobile as I walked on, with this chap following and as I was literally only about 15 minutes from my home, I thought my son would be with me in seconds.  I kept moving, getting more and more scared and hoping the dog would protect me if the worst came to the worst and still my son didn't arrive.  I was just beginning to give up hope and preparing myself for the possible fray when I heard this distant screeching of brakes as if going round corners.  This happened a few more times and then suddenly his car roared into view at breakneck speed.   The guy ran off and my son put the dog and me in the car to go home.  I said "what the hell kept you?"  It turned out he'd gone to Blackpool after I'd left the house!  He'd decided to go out for a drink - when I rang him he wasn't at my home at all  - he was about 10 miles away!    We've dined out on it since of course.

As to the underwear, I've actually always had a gut feeling that it was my then next door neighbour - the psycho-Hungarian concert pianist who had mentioned more than once she was envious of the clothes she'd seen on my washing line.  Unfortunately I didn't have CCTV then so never found out one way or the other.  She was totally nuts by the way.

I remember an old neighbour of ours lost her undies, and a policeman found them discarded the next day, well that's what he said.

A group of travellers helped the,selves to stuff from our street once, we lost a hanging basket.

I think it's the same travellers who have now occupied a field that they bought near Stratford, yards from a govenrment minister (forgot her name just now)

As usual, I've just nipped down to see what's on the tv and out of all the Sky channels there isn't one single thing I want to watch.  Back to R3 then.   

Being briefed by the Police is such a bore...

That's intriguing, Inks. Do you have any idea why this club has a particular aversion to the Spanish (if that's what it actually was)? Is it a Dublin thing? Odd. If only because most young Spanish people I know (quite a lot in Brighton, students, Eng Lang students) are extremely courteous and very rarely drunk or disruptive.